Would you take all your crayons—crimson, daffodil, indigo, grass, bubblegum—and melt them together in order to make one dingy brown crayon instead? Would you take all your favorite varietal grapes, perhaps sauvignon blanc, merlot, malbec, viognier, and gewurztraminer, and mash them together in a vat to produce something less compelling? Would you take your favorite […] Read more

When the sun slants golden through the barren trees and the north wind shivers the browning reeds, I begin thinking of honeycomb. I dream of next year’s harvest, the neatly packed cells oozing to the press of my knife. Nothing brings me closer to my bees than nature’s perfect fast food—preserved, packaged, portion controlled, and […] Read more

After I wrote the post “What do you do with your honey harvest?,” I just had to try some of the suggestions, especially those that used comb honey. Someone recommended I try Trader Joe’s Toscano cheese dusted with cinnamon. I have to tell you, they were absolutely right. There is something about the flavor combination […] Read more

So gross! A few days ago, I received a message from a purchaser of honey. She had just acquired her very first sample of honey-in-the-comb from her local farmer’s market. Based on her description, I would say it was “chunk honey,” a piece of comb in a jar surrounded by extracted honey. When she got […] Read more

Two years ago, Detective Anthony Planakis (retired) from New York, shared his secret to large honey crops: access holes with platforms. His awesome photos and impressive production records convinced me this was something I had to try. My situation is a little different because I produce comb honey instead of extracted honey. Nevertheless, I promptly […] Read more

How can you do that? How can you lower the value of your honey? Extract it, of course. If you think I’m kidding, consider this. According to on-line sources, the average price for a pound of extracted honey packaged for retail sale is about $8. Now go and price a pound of comb honey. Depending […] Read more

The very best comb honey is melt-in-your-mouth tender with minimal chewiness. The honey itself should be front and center, while the comb should be a pleasant addition to the texture, not a tasteless wad. When I first began making comb honey, I used the extra-thin surplus foundation that is designed for this purpose. But even that […] Read more

Search

Please Donate to Honey Bee Suite

This website is made possible by people like you. Its purpose it to discuss contemporary issues in beekeeping and bee science. It is non-discriminatory, encompassing both honey bees and wild bees. Your support matters. Thank you.

The Beekeeper’s Handbook

The Valkyrie Long Hive

Bee Wise

Bee-yond Bees

Bees are more than a hobby;
they are a life study,
in many respects a mirror
of our own society.

—William Longgood

Why Honey Bee is Two Words

Regardless of dictionaries, we have in entomology a rule for insect common names that can be followed. It says: If the insect is what the name implies, write the two words separately; otherwise run them together. Thus we have such names as house fly, blow fly, and robber fly contrasted with dragonfly, caddicefly, and butterfly, because the latter are not flies, just as an aphislion is not a lion and a silverfish is not a fish. The honey bee is an insect and is preeminently a bee; “honeybee” is equivalent to “Johnsmith.”

—From Anatomy of the Honey Bee by Robert E. Snodgrass

State Insects

The non-native European Honey Bee is the state insect of:

Arkansas

Georgia

Kansas

Louisiana

Maine

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

New Jersey

North Carolina

Oklahoma

South Dakota

Tennessee

Utah

Vermont

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Not one native bee is a state insect. The closest relative of a North American native bee to make the list is the Tarantula Hawk Wasp, the state insect of New Mexico.

iNaturalist

Where Are Your Hives?

Beekeepers are everywhere. Each time someone visits Honey Bee Suite, his or her location will appear on the map.

Page Views

13,218,361 hits

Mission Statement

Honey Bee Suite is dedicated to honey bees, beekeeping, wild bees, other pollinators, and pollination ecology. It is designed to be informative and fun, but also to remind readers that pollinators throughout the world are endangered. Although they may seem small and insignificant, pollinators are vital to anyone who eats.